Hopeless
by Cezille07
Summary: How does Elena face each week knowing her case rests hopelessly with a Tamer? COMPLETE.
1. Board Games

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

How does Elena live each week knowing her case rests hopelessly with a Tamer?

Disclaimer: (This gets tiring to retype every time).

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Boardgames

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It was still early, but something urged her to get up already. She looked at the clock; seven-thirty AM. _Darn, its too early._ But she was up anyway. After a trip to the shower, she went down to the kitchen to see her parents having breakfast.

"Good morning, Elena," her mother greeted, half-sleepy, as she kissed her on the cheek. Her father was already dressed for work.

"Is something wrong?" asked Harvey in a joking manner. "You're up too early on a weekend. Anyhow, the twins beat you again. They're playing in the living room."

"What?"

"If you weren't always sleeping late you wouldn't be having trouble waking up at dawn." Julie smiled. She took a sip of coffee. "Go watch them for a while, your father and I will just finish breakfast."

In the living room—

Charlie and Violet were throwing tiles at each other, using her precious Scrabble set!

"Come on guys! You've made a mess of the living room _and_ my original set!" she gave, a little angrier than she wanted to show. "If I don't find all 100 tiles you're both in big trouble!" It took a while longer to absorb the scene they made. Her siblings smiled innocently. "Who started this?! Charlie, Violet! Answer me!"

"Elena! I told you to watch them, not play the Angry-Mom!" called Julie.

"Yeah!" she called back, but her hands remained on her waist.

Then Charlie stopped laughing. His eyes darted to the window.

"It can't be too early for monsters to make trouble, I suppose," Elena thought. She followed the line of sight, and saw a quick shadow move out of view.

Eventually she found all the tiles (though some ended up in as far as the nursery and the front yard). The board lay open in front of her. Somehow, she knew whose fault it was—she was already holding the letters in her hand, but was too afraid to spell his name. She had already spent far too much time wondering about it every night, the reason she could never fall asleep earlier than ten. Now at dawn he was playing with her again.

One by one, she laid down the four letters across the pink, middle square of the board. "Nineteen," she counted, "double word score, times two. Thirty-eight."

And so her hopeless week begins.


	2. Battling Exponents

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07 _

A/N: About time I updated this, right? I know, it's been a long while since I last even _looked_ at this fic. I've been wondering whether or not to delete this because I couldn't continue it. Then a few days ago, _voila_! Another chapter! "Hopeless" is going to stay for now.

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Battling Exponents

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He came inside the house, greeting her mom, "Good morning, Mrs. Potato!" before making a beeline for her room. "Elena," he called, interrupting her solemn meditation on the laws of exponents.

"Yes?" she looked up. She knew why that took a bit more courage than usual. "Zick? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to invite you on a little monster hunt today," he explained. "Jeremy found a huge pack of Foulers in the sewer. We'd normally ignore it but the Monster Pod was complaining."

"And he actually asked you to catch them?"

"No, it's more like some training. Teddy and the others have assignments too."

"And so do I." Elena gave her math notebook a dismayed look before continuing, "So, you want me to come?" A harmless question, it seemed. She waited with bated breath, twiddling her pencil in her hand. Harmless, yes, harmless.

He grinned. "Of course I do. You're my assistant Tamer, remember?"

Elena felt her face turn the shade of an eggplant as she gathered her stuff. "Great!"

They came down the stairs mentally planning the assault on the Foulers. That was when Julie blocked the way, her arms crossed, and her right foot tapping the floor.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked her daughter.

Elena looked at Zick, then up the stairs. "Somewhere."

"That wasn't a smart answer. And I'm not seeing your finished homework. I thought we'd agreed on that?"

"It's a nice and sunny day, can't I go out for a few hours or so?"

Julie turned her look to Zick. "How can you influence her to mind something other than schoolwork? What can be more _important_ that school?"

Elena felt like melting. Taming was _more_ important than school. But her mother didn't know that. If she only knew—

"Go back to your room and finish that assignment!" Julie scolded. "And you, Zick, I don't want you here for a week, until you both learn to keep your priorities."

After Zick left, the sky darkened all of a sudden and poured all its tears on the earth. Perfect for Elena's mood.

She sat listlessly on the bed, her hand on Purrcy's head, stroking him gently as she always did on this kind of day. Forget exponents. She had a good chance today. Like the many other days she spent with him.


	3. Moment Number One

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number One

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There was a tap on her window. She debated looking outside. Fine, for the sake of doubt, or of chancing on Zick walking down the street—

It was Zick?

"I want to give you something," he said, reaching into his backpack for something. When he showed it to her, she almost screamed. "It's one of the Foulers I caught. You weren't able to come so I thought you might want to have it."

"Gosh, Zick. Thanks," she answered, taking the occupied Dombox from him. "Um, what are you standing on? How'd you get up here?"

"Oh. Bombo bounced me up to the ledge."

Elena stood on tiptoe to examine the yard, to see if Bombo was there. And there he was, waving at her. She waved back just as Zick added, "And now I've gotta go. If your mom catches me, I don't think we'll be meeting for a few months."

"Alrighty," she said uncertainly. She watched him jump down and land on Bombo's large belly. She watched them run back to their Oasis, where Timothy was probably waiting for them as angrily as Julie was for her homework.

Speaking of which, "x raised to m times x raised to n equals x raised to m plus n" was suddenly playing in her mind on repeat. Yes! One rule down. Five more to go.


	4. Just a Little Lie

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

On to the second day, shall we?

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Just a Little Lie

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She was standing in the lawn, breathing in the fresh morning air. "Good morning, Zick," she said, to no one seemingly.

It was then someone from a growth of plants appeared in front of her, scratching his head and wondering how she knew. "Hi, Elena."

"So, are you going to get me into trouble again today?"

"No," he actually laughed. He dusted his clothes. "Since we didn't do anything together yesterday, I asked Timothy if there are any monsters that need catching. He told me about a mountain not too far from the Ancient Armory being disturbed by a few Bonzes making a habit of 'quarrying' their way through the woods and eating everything in their paths."

"And...?"

"It is a Sunday, a day to relax and all, isn't it? I assume you're done with your homework."

"I might be done with the assignment, but you did forget one little detail." She grinned. "Mom forbade you to come here and see me."

"But we stuck to the terms of the agreement! Sort out our priorities. What could be more important than a monster hunt?" he tested.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Well, you know how to get me."

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They found the crazed Bonzes with no trouble, captured them all in less than five minutes without much ado save for Elena breaking one of the spare Domboxes they brought along. So far the heading back home didn't prove difficult either, that is, until it started raining.

"No! It can't rain!"

"Of course it can, Elena. Find some cover!"

"I hope this doesn't last too long! We can let our clothes dry out before heading back home and mom will never know," Elena said worriedly, using her backpack as an umbrella.

"You're still worried about _that_?" Zick answered. "Your plan will get us both colds! But no thank you, my allergies are bad enough." He pointed towards the Armory. "Look, we can stay there for a while until this rain dies down a bit. Then we'll see what we can do about it. We'll take care of the rest later."

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"Zick? Elena? You're both drenched!" said Lay when she noticed them enter the grand hall. She gave them both towels and added, "You'd better have good excuses when you get home."

"We know. But we can't even go yet, not in this weather," replied Zick.

"Anyone else here?" Elena asked.

Lay cocked her head towards the door that led to the kitchen. "Just my family, and Teddy."

"I'll go over and say hi," Zick excused himself.

Elena took a seat on the nearest stairs and watched Lay polish her Dom Staff. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied absently. "Listen, can you tell Zick we've got a Tamers' meeting tomorrow?"

"Why don't you do it?" Elena said through gritted teeth. Tamers' meeting. That would mean she couldn't come. Unless Zick asks her again....

"I'm not waiting for my family. We're here for a little witch hunt, but I'm not coming with them. I've got other plans."

"Where are you going?"

"It's a little secret. And don't tell Zay, Leniley or Lyu."

"Why not?"

"Just—" Lay groaned and left Elena staring after her.

Elena thought it was more than just a little secret. Like her escapade today, it would be just a little lie.


	5. Moment Number Two

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number Two

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There was a knock on the door. Zick and Elena exchanged nervous glances.

"Zick? Is Elena in there? I need to talk to her!" called Julie from outside, knocking again.

"I'll go," Zick offered, "Are you going to hide?"

Elena nodded and slipped away to the kitchen.

Zick opened the door. "Yes, Mrs. Potato?"

"Hi. Do you know where my daughter happens to be?"

"She was with me the whole day. We're just..." he paused. He had to keep their excursion a secret.

Or a lie, Elena thought. She heard them quite well from where she stood. She crossed her fingers and hoped her mom would believe Zick.

"We've been here pretty much the whole time. You know, watching TV and stuff," Zick continued.

"Oh, I see," said Julie. "Well, can you do me a little favor, please?"

"Anything."

"I'll just drop by at the grocery store. Apparently my husband is starting to really love his job and forget those items I need him to buy. The twins might need a bit to eat soon, but I don't expect to take long. Just in case they do, give them some milk. The bottles are in the fridge."

"I'll take care of it."

"Thanks! Well, I'll be going now." Julie turned around and went over to her car. She drove away without another look back.

Elena gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Zick," she said when she returned to the living room again. She placed the box of tissue on her lap, sneezed, and blew her nose into one. "Sounds like she bought the TV story. I'll have time to get over my cold before she comes home and makes dinner."

"Glad to help." Zick shrugged. "But I would never really do this. Not again."

Elena eyed him. "Not even for me?"

He took a moment to answer. "Only for you."


	6. The Elusive

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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The Elusive

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There was nothing out of the ordinary during that morning. She waited, as usual, in the living room of the Barrymore Detention Oasis, tapping her thumb on the throw pillow absently while she observed the pictures hanging randomly on the walls around her. She greeted Bombo, the ghost grandparents, and the other monsters that passed by for a little chat, as usual. She even forgot to tie one shoelace.

As usual, Zick didn't come down until after he found his shoes where Bombo left them, today above his closet where he could barely reach yet. He had the Tamer's Manual tucked under one arm, his schoolbag nowhere in sight. When they left, he didn't notice she wore her hair differently for him.

Like he'd ever care.

He was preoccupied with Taming, she knew that.

"Zick, why aren't you bringing your schoolbooks and all?" she asked for the sake of the question. She recalled what Lay had said yesterday. A Tamers' meeting.

"It's a secret," he replied absently.

She hid a little groan that came after the thought that exactly _that_ was what Lay had said. "So I'm not in it?" she gave, trying to sound as neutral as possible. But it wasn't really...possible.

Zick only looked at her the way artists do with their work when there was something wrong with it. He said nothing, and opened his book at some page about ancient birds.

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She walked ahead of him, walked so briskly that by the time she arrived at school he wasn't behind her anymore. She shrugged the thought off and sat by her usual seat, where Zick would be next to her, that is, if he were there. She frowned at his spot, crossed her arms, and said under her breath, "Holy spit!"

He could have told her about it in the least, said why she couldn't come. Instead, he didn't pay her the least bit of attention and seemed more absorbed in his read about elusive birds of prey. Talk about elusive! Dismissal was elusive! Come dismissal time, she was going to give him a piece of her mind, she decided. A piece of her mind, indeed. And maybe a good beating up too. To get some sense into his head. She was always the one saving him, yet always the one who had to beg and fight her way into the exclusive Tamer group. Even when she became a Keeper, still nothing went her way. As if being a Keeper meant nothing. She ignored Ms. Swift entering the classroom and heaved a big sigh to tone down her senses.

Ah, dismissal was an elusive little comfort not meant for students, for Keepers, like her. They had a quiz tomorrow, but forget that. Now, Zick was missing a lot of notes, notes she won't let him copy because he didn't tell her any of his plans again.


	7. Moment Number Three

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number Three

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But there is no moment number three.

After a day of insane wondering what Zick was up to, Elena snuck inside his house, into his room to look for suspicious notes he might have left about his trip. There wasn't any. Maybe what Lay had said—darn, _Lay_—would give her a clue. Zick, Teddy, and Lay. A Tamer's meeting. A secret.

She stomped her foot on the floor, and the closet door opened. Out came Bombo, shivering.

"Me come in peace!"

"Bombo!" she exclaimed. "Bombo, do you know where Zick went today?"

Bombo looked left and right, as if making sure no one heard his answer. "He say no tell Elena. It be secret."

"Secret?! Zick can't keep secrets from me, I'm his best friend!"

"But—"

"Tell me where he went!"

"Alright! He go to Tamer's meeting!"

Elena crossed her arms again. "I already knew that. Where is this meeting held?"

"Me not know." Bombo twirled his thumbs. "Can me go now?"

To think she had worried about him! He didn't even tell Bombo anything important. And Bombo, for all she knew, for all she cared, was a closer friend to him than she was. "Alright, Bombo," she said, "but you have to do me a little favor."

Bombo stood in place without a word.

"When he comes home, I want you to slobiverate him as bad as you can!"

"Me eat Zick?"

"Nah, I have to have a piece of him left to beat up."

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She scouted outside the by now familiar house of the Mamery's. She was lucky the Tutor cat didn't see her when it passed through the front door; she hid behind a bush a quarter of her size, just under the window, from where she could listen quite comfortably to the Tamers' discussions.

She had guessed right. So they were there. So they were talking about the same birds Zick had researched about that morning on their way "to school". Yeah right. He was studying for this meeting. He wouldn't remember their quiz tomorrow, and she would certainly not be the one to remind him. Let him suffer the consequences.

Subtly, but surely.

No, there is no moment for today. The most 'moment' she had was in her bed, hugging her pillow, screaming into it that when she read his lips, her name never crossed them.


	8. No, Not Jealous

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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No, Not Jealous

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Classroom. Pens scratching paper. The teacher posed diplomatically on the desk. Students sweating profusely....

The trademarks of a long quiz.

Only, she had found it easy whereas Zick was obviously struggling. To herself, she was pleased to see the frown on his face that he couldn't answer such trivial questions. But he deserved this trivial punishment.

"Time's up! Pass your papers," the teacher called.

"Elena! Why didn't you tell me we have a quiz today?!" Zick whispered heatedly as he watched his half-empty answer sheet being passed to the front.

"What do you mean?" she snapped. "Don't you remember our discussion last weekend about priorities? You said, 'What could be more important than a monster hunt?'"

"I don't even remember that."

"You don't remember anything, do you?"

"What—?"

"Never mind. Leave me alone." She gathered her things, tried to avoid his questioning eyes as much as she could. And she couldn't. She had to go outside and lock herself in the bathroom that day, hoping Patty and Mattie don't come by and force her into an interview.

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It was evening by the time he came around again.

"No. I'm not talking to you," she said at the first sign of him. He remained standing on the doorway, confused as a bee that had lost its sting.

"Elena, are you mad at me?"

She made a false smile. "No. I'm not mad at you."

"I know you are, Elena. Did I do something?"

"The thing is, Zick, you didn't do _anything_."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking to you, remember?"

Zick heaved an exasperated sigh and sat beside her on the couch. "Please? Tell me?"

She shook her head and inched away.

"Elena, how can I help you if—"

"I don't need your help, okay? You need mine! You always need me!"

"You're right. I do need your help. I have to retake that quiz next week, and I need you to help me focus. I need your help because we have a little mission—"

"—Which you're not taking me on," she cut him short. She retreated to her room and blocked the door with her weight. He was on the other side, wondering what to say, she knew. She felt this unease about him, and she wished he would disappear for the moment.

_Are you jealous?_ Was he going to ask her? Would he even think she had the capacity to be jealous? And of what? Unless he _knew_ about her hopeless feelings toward him, there was nothing to be jealous of. But there was. There was Lay and her incurable hunger for boys' attention. There was Teddy and his arrogance, his unlikely charm that drew Zick to be his friend despite the attitude problem. There was everything in the world she wanted to be for him, everything in the world she couldn't have...because she was _only_ a Keeper.

"Go away!" she yelled into the door. She didn't hear any footsteps move away. "I said go away!" She opened the door again, expecting Zick to beg her, ask her why and all. Be what a friend is supposed to be and be sweet because she needed it. But no, he was already gone.

To his question, if he ever dared ask—no, he wouldn't, would he? No, not jealous. She wasn't...'jealous'. She was angry.


	9. Moment Number Four

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number Four

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She was playing by herself with the Scrabble set again. The first word she always played was that four letter word that amounted to thirty-eight points because of the double-word bonus. The second word was "Crazy" vertically downwards from the third letter. The third word was "Like" spelled downward from two boxes above the K from the first word, and formed "Re" with the R from "Crazy". This was good, she was earning a lot of points. The last word she formed for the night—not because she was tired, it was something else—was a horizontal "You" starting with the Y from "Crazy". Everything revolved around "Crazy". She was crazy. He was crazy.

And "You" was the last word. She didn't exactly know why. Purrcy was with her, sitting on the desk as she wasted her time with a mind-numbing game of Admit-Your-Feelings-With-A-Scrabble-Set. Something about that last word felt...different. As if...someone was watching her form her ultimate sentence, "You" are "crazy" but I "like" "you" "Zick".

Charlie crawled into her room, chased by her panting father. "Hey Elena!" he breathed, picking up her baby brother. "What are you doing? Why aren't you turning on the lights? Why are your Scrabble tiles messed up here?"

"That's a lot of questions, dad," she replied in a joking manner. He noted things right, but some things, these things, were better left out of conversations.

"Alright then, my princess," her father said. "I'll take Charlie to the nursery. You go to bed. What time is it? Almost ten? I have a busy day tomorrow, and for the rest of the week too. You see, we have something big for the supermarket. A grand new product! But I won't bore you with that. Good night, Elena."

She smiled in return, and waved at little Charlie who was looking out at her window. Once her father was gone, she traced his line of sight and saw a shadow move away from view.

"Zick?" she thought. Not again. He won't bother her like last Saturday, like every day she had to spend like this. In secret. In silence. In torture. In the solace of her room with only a Scrabble set to vent out her feelings.

But if only she knew. Zick was really watching her, with the same interest and doubt she had yesterday at Lay's house.


	10. Tamers versus Keeper

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Tamer(s) versus Keeper

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"Oh no."

What was that? Lay and Teddy, yes, but what were they doing?

"Run!" she thought to herself, and her legs engaged in a furious race against time and humanity. They took her to the playground, a few blocks from school, where she had no intention of going.

But they found her in an instant. What if, like Zick, they had this uncanny sense that enabled them to find her? Nah, that was Zick's special power, a power that applied only to her. Not that she needed finding, really. She'd come to him like a fly to ultraviolet light.

"Hey Potato," Teddy said, occupying the swing next to her. "I heard you and Zick aren't on speaking terms anymore."

"And what would that mean to you?" she asked, calmly if that were possible.

"So it means the guy's unfocused," Lay answered coolly. "Listen, would you mind telling us what's going on? We have a little Tamers-only business and we need every helping hand we can get."

Elena shrugged. "Why don't you tell your family?"

"Because they don't understand! They don't like the idea of this—" Teddy said, but Lay covered his mouth before he got any further.

"He asked us to talk to you for him because he can't," explained Lay. "I don't like wasting my time around here so if you don't speak up, I'll just be going home to plan our next move for our mission."

Elena felt like exploding. "It's none of your business if you don't tell me what you guys are up to."

"Oh, so you want to be one of us?" Teddy sang. "You want to be in? You want to hang out with the cool guys?"

_Elena, stop yourself!_ she thought, but her fists were already balled. One more joke from Teddy and—

"Elena can't stand being left out, can she?"

That's it! She got up and threw herself at Teddy and gave the most her hands can give. She wrestled like she had never before, with the force she thought she'd give Zick that night outside Lay's house. She was one punch away from breaking Teddy's nose. That's it, let it out!

Suddenly a pain shot at her side, and she found herself curled up on the grass, her body smoking from the blast of Energy Dom courtesy of Lay.

"See ya later, sweetie," Lay saluted, and she dragged Teddy's crumpled, unwilling form away.


	11. Moment Number Five

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number Five

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This is just great!

Now she couldn't come to school. And she couldn't come home. She looked less than presentable in her half-burnt skin and her semi-fried clothes. No, she couldn't move. She had to wait here the whole day, hoping that by some miracle an angel would bring her the answer to all her problems.

But the look was just half of it. She was badly hurt. Teddy didn't fight back, but Lay's shot was good enough for a dozen people. She couldn't move not because she didn't want to, but because everything hurt. Her head hurt, her arms hurt, her entire body hurt.

She wanted to cry. Why couldn't Zick have just talked to her? Even if she wouldn't have answered, the effort, the mere effort would prove something....

"Elena!"

She looked up at the voice. _Now_ she wanted to _really_ cry.

It was Zick. "Elena, what happened to you?!" He surveyed her with his eyes. "Who did this?" he asked. "Who did this to you?" And he took her into a protective embrace. She could feel his rhythmic heartbeats, and it was a nice, blissful feeling, but...this was awkward....

"Your friends," she answered, breaking away from his grasp. "Your 'better' friends."

"Why—?" he groaned. "I wanted them to find out why you weren't talking to me! Not do _this_!"

He seemed to want to say more, but he held himself in place, tried not to do anything rashly. On second thought, he stepped aside and fired a long ray of blue Dom Energy into the sky.

Panting, he faced her again. "I'm...really sorry, Elena. About everything." He paused. "I should have told you. It's just that I wanted it to be a surprise and all...."

She couldn't really respond after this. She was pleased with the fact that he...worried about her at all. She smiled. "I'm over it." _Come on now, hug me again,_ she thought cheerfully.

For some reason, he did. But who cares about the reason? He hugged her again! He brought her home. Nursed her wounds. Took care of her. Forget Lay. This...is...just...great!


	12. First Words

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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First Words

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"Elena, we need a little favor of you for today."

This was the first thing Greta had said when she came in that morning.

"What is it, Mrs. Barrymore?"

Greta sighed. "You see, well, Zick developed a bad allergy reaction last night. He can't come to school today."

Elena thought back on the previous night. What happened? He helped her and all—it was from the lavender plants in the playground. That must be what set his allergies off.

"He'll be okay, right?" asked Elena. Greta nodded, and she sighed in relief before continuing, "I'll copy some notes for him. No worries."

"Thank you, Elena! We can always count on you."

"It's nothing." Nothing, right, but she was glowing deep inside. Today, she was his assistant Tamer, Taming schoolwork, that is.

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"Hey Elena! Where's your boyfriend?"

And these were Patty and Mattie's first words to her upon entering the classroom.

She ignored them and set down her pens and notebooks. 'Assistant Tamer', she reminded herself. She had a task ahead of her. And no Patty or Mattie can ruin her good spirits today.

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"Elena..." was Zick's only word to her when she came into his room. He looked flushed, and feverish too. Looks like she had to do more than lend him notes. Now she had Timothy's job too, to Tutor him. But not now. If only he didn't need to take the retest tomorrow. If only.

"So, what subject do you want to do first?" she asked, trying to sound lively and ignoring how sickly he looked just then.

He grinned and closed his eyes.

"Okaaay, I'll pick math for now." She brought out the textbook and laid it on his lap, and took a seat beside him. Again, she ignored the heat coming from him. He was really sick. He shouldn't be doing this. He ought to rest for the day, photocopy her notes instead of torturing himself with the effort to cope with the lesson. She could simply let him. Or she could make things easier by...making things hard. By tutoring him now.

"Zick? Are you listening?"

He nodded faintly. "Yeah," he breathed. He sat up and looked at the page number. "You've reached this topic already?"

"Unfortunately," she answered. "So, let's start."

She had just begun to look at her notebook when Zick laid his head on her shoulder. And he didn't move anymore. He was asleep. Beside her. She felt an insane laughter bubble up from deep inside, but she didn't dare shift her position. She turned her head a little, to get a clear view of him. Well, Zick was...really....

Dependence. She loved the feeling of dependence. Mutual dependence. He needed her. She needed him...more than he needed her, probably, but just now...with him beside her, still, depending on her for everything, well...everything felt right and perfect. Or almost perfect. He just had to get better soon.


	13. Moment Number Six

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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Moment Number Six

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Her hands were aching from the sheer amount of notes she had to rewrite. She looked at the Fouler sitting pretty in a Dombox on her dresser. Zick. She thought about him again. Zick....

_Wait! No, focus. _

She neatly put down everything they took up in class today on a few sheets of paper. She tried to include little side notes and how-to's everywhere she could.

What did the clock say? Two in the morning. For sure he was still sleeping, but she couldn't block that moment she had with him a few hours ago. But sleep, that was what she needed too if she planned to wake up early for school later on.

She gave a little yawn and stretched her arms and legs. After this, there was still math. The one she should have started with, the one she couldn't even touch now. The sacredness of that instant in time she wished she could freeze lay on those pages, where he looked at them. Where he touched them.

An hour later, everything was done. It was her turn to sneak into his room and slip the notes into his bag. She let her eyes feast on his peaceful, sleeping figure, sure that he'd soon find her little surprise, maybe thank her a little. That would be enough for the effort. More than enough. If he'd at least glance at her work she'd be fine with it.

_Ack! Go home and get some rest. That's right. _

She was in her room again. Why suddenly the phone rang was a mystery. But after that, all she had to hear were the first words to clear everything out.

"Thanks, Elena. You're the best."


	14. Le Tresor Du Garde

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

The final day!

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Le Trésor du Garde

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What...was that annoying sound? A piece of cardboard singing? Clak Ritak's terrible violin?

"Elena!" The voice called. It was faraway and unreal. Ignore it. But "Elena!" it called again. For the sake of looking! Look, she told herself. But her eyes wouldn't even open. What time had she slept? _Had_ she slept at all? Grudgingly, her body coordinated a straight sit-up—and her question was answered.

It was Jeremy.

"Elena! Get up! We need you for a mission!"

Now those were the words she needed to hear! On her feet all of a sudden, she saluted him and yelled, "Elena Potato, Assistant Tamer, reporting for duty!"

The Tutor shrugged and continued, "We don't really need a Tamer. What we've got today is a very special case that possibly only you and Greta can solve. It was actually the Tamers' fault this time."

"What's it about?" And her face lit. "Greta and me? A Keepers' mission?"

"Yes, yes," answered Jeremy, rolling his eyes. "Come along. The situation awaits near the Armory. You can watch me reprimand those reckless Tamers. They're already waiting for me there," he added proudly, with a wink as if his job's crowning glory was exactly this: to get mad at Zick and the monsters.

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The Armory had seen better days. Elena was torn between gasping and laughing at its pathetic state: Bim-Bombak's disgusting soups bathing the walls, bits and pieces of Snyakutzes and popped Bursties scattered everywhere, and three young Tamers sitting in this midst, awaiting their judgment.

"Thank you for the wait, Tamers, but you already know we're not in for a party today," Jeremy began, and Elena grinned at their unified scowls.

Zick waved a shy, almost apologetic hello at her. Lay had her arms crossed, and at her feet Teddy was counting down to his moment of doom with a dazed look on his face.

Again winking, Jeremy asked, "Shall I start with the mission or my long speech?"

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"We have been trusting enough to let you kids do what you wish with your powers, provided it is for Bibbu-si's safety. However, I doubt any of you consulted with your resident Tutors about your newest undertaking; I doubt you gave a thought to any consequences a simple mistake can cause you. Tell me, have you any idea what a Trésor du Garde is, Ms. Mamery?"

"Birds of prey, colorful, bodies made of diamond-like crystal," snapped Lay. "Listen, Jeremy, we only tried to catch a few! They only ever come around once every thousand years."

"They are a rare specimen of birds, and as you might know, they're also a very old species of monsters, just like the Flyvans! What I think you _don't_ know is that it's also not possible to use any Dom Power on it. Did you know that, Mr. Thaur?"

Teddy looked up, shrugged, and said nothing.

"Really?" Elena piped in. "How come?"

"These special monsters originate from France. Their name 'Trésor du Garde' means, 'Treasure of the Keeper'. The Keeper's Treasure!" Their eyes widened. Jeremy went on, "It is a Keeper's Treasure because it follows those who see but do not impose their wills on them! The Trésor du Garde makes this worldwide trip once every thousand years to show off its rare beauty, but otherwise, it is never seen, even in its own country, even by Keepers. But Keepers are special to them, because unlike Tamers, they don't command, they care; they don't assert, they suggest. The very nature of these birds is hard to predict, but for sure, I wouldn't assign this job to foolish Tamers like these three," he finished, indicating Zick, Teddy, and Lay. "I don't even know how they could disrupt the cycle. One moment there they are, passing by as they always did; next thing we know, they've been in Big Burg for a few days now. Their routine has been broken and I might not know why, but I know who did it."

"So, what do _I_ do?" asked Elena, a large grin taking over her face. They all watched her thoughtfully. Maybe enviously. And that grin became bigger at the thought that finally, it was their turn to wait by the sidelines.

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Greta met them outside, and for sure, a flock of glass-like creatures were flying in desperate circles overhead. She put a finger to her lips, hushing Lay's irritated outbursts.

"That's them," she pointed. "But look over there." She directed their eyes towards a clump of low trees, where a group of men with binoculars were trying to seek the birds.

"But those...those guys are...." Elena gulped, a harsh recognition ready to slap her. "They're from the supermarket! I don't understand. What're they doing here?"

Lay answered, "What else? We've been studying them for days, and it seems we weren't the only ones who realized how much their crystal bodies would cost!"

"My dad said his supermarket was hosting something big! He was talking about _this_! They're planning to sell them!"

"Not like everyone can see the birds at all—"

"Lay, will you _stop_ being rude? Especially to Elena!" Zick warned. They turned to look at him, except Lay. "I don't like what you did to her the other day," he said, "And all this...is your fault anyway. You found the Keeper's Treasure birds and wanted to capture them."

"It's not my fault some ordinary human with 'special' powers happened to see them too!" yelled Lay. "Geez, Zick! Standing up for a Keeper is so degrading of a Tamer."

"That's _enough_!" Zick created a ball of Dom Energy and prepared to blast Lay off the face of Big Burg. Had Elena not given him this approving grin, even Greta's presence wouldn't hold him back.

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	15. Moment Number Seven

**Hopeless**

_Cezille07_

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One Last Moment

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That was supposed to be enough, right? To know he was on her side, fighting for her. Elena was glad it was dark, that as she, Zick, and his mother walked home together after the exhausting affair, her success remained safely hidden inside.

"Well, good night, Elena," yawned Zick as she was about to close her front door. Greta nodded towards her, and herded her tired son to the next house.

"A very good night, Zick," she whispered. Hearts danced around her head because tomorrow was finally another Saturday she could enjoy without the threat of that Lay character who never bothered with the difficulties of being a Keeper. Being a Keeper wasn't an easy job at all, Elena assured herself, proud of her status. She wouldn't trade her place with anyone's for a chance at fame or power. What she had now—what did she have now? Zick's friendship? Was that enough? Yes, it certainly was. He protected her. He fought for her. He endured allergies for her. And he made her smile unlike anyone ever did. Did he even know she was smiling now? Even if he didn't, the moment was perfect, worth it.

For she had spent a good day proving herself worthy of him, proving Keepers were no different from Tamers in so many respects. For one, they had special powers even Tamers could envy. She was able to make the Keeper's Treasure birds zoom towards the unsuspecting humans, Teddy, and Lay, and peck their heads repeatedly until they ran off for home in shame. And the birds returned to her, perched on her extended arm, singing in an ethereal melody as if rejoicing with her, for her.

"What are we going to do now?" she remembered Zick asking earlier. He tried to stroke one of the birds, which fluttered its sharp, crystal wings in a frenzy until Elena calmed it down. "How are we going to get them back on their world-wide journey?"

"However it is, we'll do it the way we always do," she answered with a corresponding wink, "...Together."

Now, as Elena lay in bed again, relishing today's glorious victory, a large grin painted her animated face. She couldn't, didn't want to, sleep. Even the moon was on a roll, shining brightly and clearing the sky of the clouds and gloom that darkened the neighborhood's overall mood. Dark? What dark? Everything was nothing, and nothing was everything. Happy, blissful, exciting—

Hopeless.

Something clicked beside her. It was the alarm clock. What? 7:30 AM? Already? She hadn't slept? It was Saturday?

The Fouler was safely hidden, but her still-arranged Scrabble set was nowhere to be found. She hadn't put it away since Tuesday evening. And now it was missing, again. Why was there a sinking feeling in her stomach? How come there was this voice inside her head saying it was another hopeless week all over again?

**-----END-----**


End file.
